Plants herbs or subshrubs, usually perennial, often twining, less often erect, with unisexual flowers, plants sometimes unisexual (species dioecious) or bisexual (species dioecious); indumentum of simple hairs plus stout stinging hairs, at leat on the pistillate calyces. Leaves alternate, usually petiolate,with stipules; stipules lanceolate toovate, reflexed; blades simple, sometimes palmately lobed. Inflorescences usually terminal or leaf-opposed, raceme-like or narrowly paniculate, pedunculate, unisexual or pistallate towards the base and staminate distally, often staminate flowers in cymules and pistilate flowers solitary on the inflorescence axes; pedicels articulated, with 2 basal bracteoles. Staminate flowers: calyces 3(-5)-lobed, lobes valvate, 1-2 mm long; petals absent; discs absent or obscure; stamens (1-)3(-5) (-50 in New World); filaments short, thick, bent inwards; pistillodes sometimes present. Pistillate flowers:sepals (3 or)5-(6), imbricate,usually pinnatifid, sometimes entire or subpalmatifid, accrescent, midribs becoming indurated, lobes often reflexed with age, usually with prominent stinging hairs; petals and discs not present; ovaries 3-celled; ovules solitary. Seeds globose with pale, subcircular marks; caruncles absent.
Tragia ncludes about 125 species. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions around the world but is best represented in the New World and Africa.
Note: GBIF records include introduced and cultivated plants. Consequently, the distribution shown often differs from statements about a taxon's native distribution.